STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION UNDER LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINT: ENGLISH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES OF STREET VENDORS IN THE SEMBALUN TOURIST AREA, EAST LOMBOK

Authors

  • Silda Alia Maolida

    Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Doktor Nugroho Magetan
    Author

  • Lilik Purwaningsih

    Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Doktor Nugroho Magetan
    Author

  • Endah Kurtianti

    Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Doktor Nugroho Magetan
    Author
DOI:
https://doi.cibangsa.org/DOI-2026-779
Keywords:
communication strategies, English, street vendors, international tourists, tourist area
Abstract
Street vendors in tourist destinations interact directly with international visitors even though most have never received formal English instruction. This study aimed to identify the English communication strategies that street vendors use when serving foreign tourists and to analyse how effectively those strategies support communication at the Kedai Sawah tourist area in Sembalun Bumbung, East Lombok. A descriptive qualitative design was employed. Five vendors, purposively selected because they frequently served international tourists and had traded for 6–15 years (mean = 10.2 years), participated. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, and analysed using the Miles and Huberman model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that vendors drew on all five categories of Tarone's (1980) taxonomy: paraphrase, borrowing, appeal for assistance, mime, and avoidance. Paraphrase, realised mainly as language simplification, was the dominant strategy, accounting for approximately 35% of all strategies identified, because it allowed vendors to convey meaning without grammatical accuracy. Vendors also relied on repetition, body language, code-switching, and product demonstration. These strategies were generally effective in producing mutual understanding and completing transactions, although limited vocabulary, accent differences, and cultural differences remained obstacles. The study concludes that communication strategies are an essential resource enabling speakers with limited English proficiency to take part in cross-cultural service encounters in tourism. The evidence is descriptive and is not intended for statistical generalisation.
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Published
2026-11-06
Issue
Vol. 18 No. 12 (2026): Sindoro: Cendikia Pendidikan, ISSN 3025-6488
Section
Articles

How to Cite

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION UNDER LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINT: ENGLISH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES OF STREET VENDORS IN THE SEMBALUN TOURIST AREA, EAST LOMBOK. (2026). Sindoro: Cendikia Pendidikan, 18(12). https://doi.cibangsa.org/DOI-2026-779